The field of invention is treatment for hypotension.
Septic shock, the most common cause of death in intensive care units, is characterized by severe and often irreversible hypotension (Parrillo, J. E., 1993, N. Engl. J. Med. 328:1471-1477). Sepsis leading to shock may be a detrimental consequence of a severe gram negative bacterial infection. Endotoxic shock is initiated by the release of bacterial cell wall-derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS, also known as endotoxin) and the subsequent production of cytokines and vasoactive mediators that result in vascular smooth muscle cell relaxation and hypotension (Glauser et al., 1991, Lancet 338:732-736).